High tech centre for road safety to come up soon in Himachal's Hamirpur: CM

Shimla, Nov 4 (PTI) A state-of-the-art road safety control and command centre would be set up in Himachal's Hamirpur soon, as part of the efforts to enhance road safety in the state, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday.

The centre, with a Rs 30 crore budget, is going to come up as part of an integrated road safety enforcement system and would be connected to modern cameras being installed across the state.

The police department would use this system to issue e-challans, monitor traffic, and ensure discipline and safety on the roads, Sukhu said.

This centre would not only strengthen road safety but would also generate revenue for the state, said Sukhu after flagging off 66 patrol vehicles from Shimla on Tuesday.

Purchased for Rs. 18.42 crore, these vehicles include 35 electric vehicles, 14 interceptor vehicles, 10 wrecker vehicles and seven diesel vehicles, a statement issued here said.

These vehicles are being deployed at various police stations across 10 districts —Shimla, Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur, Una, Bilaspur, Kullu, Sirmaur, Solan and Chamba, it added.

The objective of these measures was not only to reduce road accidents but also to develop a safe and disaster-resilient transport system, he said, adding that road accidents had consistently declined over the past three years in the state due to joint efforts by several departments.

He added that the deployment of wrecker vehicles would help restore regular traffic on the roads by promptly removing vehicles after accidents.

The CM stated that approximately Rs 60 crore were being spent to purchase 3,373 road safety enforcement devices for the police department under the Himachal Pradesh State Road Transformation Project, and these equipment will be distributed in 10 districts to further strengthen road safety.

The CM also congratulated the police department on their efforts to curb the drug menace across the state, and said 1,200 constables have been recruited in the department and after eight years, the state government is conducting the B-1 test for promotions. PTI BPL AMJ AMJ